Gretsch signature artist and rockabilly legend Brian Setzer will release Gotta Have the Rumble, his first solo album in 7 years, August 27 on Surfdog Records physically (CD) and digitally, with the vinyl out this fall (TBA).
“Obviously, it’s a reference to my motorcycles and hot rods, something that hasn’t changed since I was 15 years old,” says Setzer of the album title. “I still have the same passion for going fast and adrenaline. But it’s also about my hearing problem with tinnitus–the ringing of the ear. It was pretty bad, and I realized that I couldn’t play the way I wanted to. As I recovered, standing in front of a small amplifier just didn’t cut it. The sound from my big amp makes the guitar rumble. Which is a big part of my sound. I was really despondent for a while because I thought I wouldn’t be able to do that again. So, ‘Gotta Have The Rumble’ refers to both of those things.”
Produced by Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell and Cheap Trick), Gotta Have the Rumble contains 11 songs, all written or co-written by Setzer, that were recorded in Setzer’s adopted hometown of Minneapolis and Nashville. A red-hot album from start to finish, Gotta Have the Rumble is American music amped up to 10—with songs that are full of dynamism and bravado. Highlights include “Checkered Flag,” “Smash Up On Highway One,” “Drip Drop,” “The Cat with 9 Wives,” “One Bad Habit” and “Rockabilly Banjo.”
In advance of the album drop, the iconic musician dropped an animated music video for lead single “Checkered Flag.”
Watch the rumbling video below, and be sure to pre-order the album here.